Cancún, QR- From November 12th-15th, delegates and partners of the Governors’ Climate and Forests (GCF)Task Force gathered in Cancun to advance initiatives to respect indigenous rights, establish alliances with rural producers and supply chain actors, and discuss other priorities for the region in 2019. Organized by the GCF Task Force Mexico Coordinator, Pronatura Sur, the event provided GCF delegates, representatives from indigenous communities, and civil society partners and opportunity to define the key activities that will be advanced in the seven GCF Task Force member states in Mexico during 2019. In the plenary session, the 34 participants from different government agencies and civil society shared, debated and consulted relevant topics with a focus on consolidating a cross-cutting agenda for the GCF Mexico states.
Discussion ranged from a detailed analysis of the GCF Task Forces overarching global results framework to identifying the next steps and activities for 2019, including efforts to formalize a Regional Committee on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities and a Regional Committee on Sustainable Agriculture.
The Global Committee of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities voted unanimously to approve of the Guiding Principles for Collaboration and Partnership Between Subnational Governments, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. These principles will guide work with indigenous peoples and local communities, and now must be implemented in each GCF region. This marked a watershed moment for the member states of the GCF in Mexico to discuss the formation of a Regional Committee that, locally, works hand in hand with these principles as a guiding framework of action. The Regionally Committee will work within the realities on-the-ground in the Mexican context to address the implementing joint actions with indigenous peoples.
Among the most relevant points of the discussion, participants highlighted the need to:
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Harmonize the feelings of the indigenous peoples of each state, matching their vision coupled with that of the jurisdictions
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Identify initiatives that share the objectives of the GCF and that also have community recognition to capitalize on synergies
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Guarantee and respect the rights of indigenous communities and their free self-determination
Regional Committee on Sustainable Agriculture and Tropical Deforestation
The need to form a Regional Committee on Sustainable Agriculture has been a recurring theme throughout the years for the GCF in Mexico, so this session of the workshop focused on defining the priorities and preparing the terms of reference for the committee.
As agriculturally-drive land-use change is becoming an increasingly prevalent issue in Mexico, participants pointed out that it is necessary to bring together different agricultural supply chain stakeholders, including large and small producers, to:
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define common priorities and key messages that result in a strategic and transversal communication
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document and disseminate success stories in Mexico and other countries
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align public policies to achieve an impact on strategic allocation of resources,
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promote the strengthening of capacities and the strengthening of public and private strategic alliances.
The key participants identified to form this Regional Committee are the political leaders in the subject, producers, representatives of private initiatives at different scales, supply chain experts, representatives of Secretariats of Rural Development and Environment, members of the Committee of Sustainable Rural Development, Planning Committees, Climate Change Committees, ODS Committees, NGOs, Municipal Boards and CONAGO.
Challenges and steps to follow
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To ensure that the guiding principles are integrated into national commitments and are considered as a joint policy agenda.
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Establish a transversal collaborative agenda that promotes the participation of communities and guarantees information, training, governance and benefit sharing.
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Design transgenerational projects that communities appropriate to ensure their success and sustainability